Charles Nelson Potter (October 31, 1852 – December 20, 1927) was a judge of the

Wyoming Supreme Court The Wyoming Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The Court consists of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices. Each Justice is appointed by the Governor of Wyoming from a list of three nominees submitted by the ...

from January 7, 1895, to December 20, 1927. Born in

Cooperstown, New York Cooperstown is a village in and the county seat of Otsego County, New York, United States. Most of the village lies within the town of Otsego, but some of the eastern part is in the town of Middlefield. Located at the foot of Otsego Lake in ...

,Wyoming State Archives biography of Charles N. Potter, available at 2301 Central Ave, Cheyenne, WY 82001. Potter was raised in

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

, and received an

LL.B. A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...

from the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

in 1873. Potter then entered the practice of law in Grand Rapids until 1876, when he relocated to

Cheyenne, Wyoming Cheyenne ( or ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Wyoming, most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming. It is the county seat of Laramie County, Wyoming, Laramie County, with 65,132 reside ...

. Potter become active in the Republican Party and influential in his legal practice, and in 1887, he entered into a successful law partnership with

Willis Van Devanter Willis Van Devanter (April 17, 1859 – February 8, 1941) was an American lawyer who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1911 to 1937. He was a staunch conservative and was regarded as a part of the Four ...

, who would serve as an

associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is a Justice (title), justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, other than the chief justice of the United States. The number of associate justices is eight, as set by the J ...

from 1911 to 1937.Timothy L. Hall, ''Supreme Court Justices: A Biographical Dictionary'' (2001), p. 253. Potter's political offices in Wyoming included "city attorney, county and prosecuting attorney, member of the Capitol Building Commission", member of the Wyoming Constitutional Convention in 1889. and Wyoming Attorney General. In 1894, Potter was elected to the Wyoming Supreme Court. He was thereafter re-elected in 1902, 1910, 1918 and 1926. Potter served on the court until his death, in Cheyenne, and was interred in Lakeview Cemetery.

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* Justices of the Wyoming Supreme Court 1852 births 1927 deaths People from Wyoming Territory University of Michigan Law School alumni Wyoming attorneys general People from Cooperstown, New York {{Wyoming-state-judge-stub